Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
Federal Moms for Liberty Wanted School Board Seats. They Got a Voice in the White House
Moms for Liberty is being embraced by the Trump administration and gaining new influence in national decisions.
6 min read
States 'Success Sequence' Urges Marriage, Then Parenthood. These States Want Schools to Teach It
The decades-old concept is getting new attention, largely from Republican lawmakers.
6 min read
Education Funding Trump Again Proposes Major Education Cuts in New Budget Proposal
The president again wants lawmakers to consider billions in K-12 spending cuts and program eliminations.
7 min read
States Texas' Bible-Infused Reading List Gets an Earful at Public Hearing
The proposal to add Bible stories reflects increasing debate over religion in public school classrooms.
4 min read
Three bibles sit on a couch on Nov. 24, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York.
Three bibles sit on a couch on Nov. 24, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York. A selection of Bible stories could be part of a K-12 reading list being debated in Texas.
David Crary/AP
Education Funding Trump's Budget Proposes Billions in K-12 Cuts. Will They Happen?
Trump is proposing level funding for Title I, a modest boost for special education, and major cuts elsewhere.
6 min read
A third-grade teacher at the Mountain View Elementary School's Global Immersion Academy in Morganton, N.C. works with her students in the Spanish portion of the program. With the inaugural class of the Global Immersion Academy (GIA) at at the school entering fourth grade this year, Burke County Public Schools is seeing more signs of success for its dual language program.
A teacher in a North Carolina dual-language program works with her students. In his latest budget proposal, President Donald Trump once again proposes to eliminate the $890 million fund that pays for supplemental services for English learners. Schools can use Title III funds for costs tied to dual-language programs that educate English learners.
Jason Koon/The News-Herald via AP
School Choice & Charters Opinion Can School Choice Programs Stamp Out Fraud While Staying Flexible?
With the rollout of the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, transparency is vital.
7 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Federal Trump Admin. Terminates Several Agreements to Protect Transgender Students
The Education Department terminated civil rights agreements under Title IX with five school districts and a college.
1 min read
AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, packs up her belongings under a canopy as athletes compete in the boys 4x800 meter relay at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., Saturday, May 31, 2025.
AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, packs up her belongings under a canopy as athletes compete at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., on May 31, 2025. The Trump administration said Monday it has terminated agreements previous administrations reached with five school districts and a college aimed to uphold rights and protections for transgender students.
Jae C. Hong/AP

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More Policy & Politics

  • Photo of young female aircraft engineer apprentice at work.
    E+
    States Are States Equipped to Track Students’ Paths From Classroom to Career?
    Longitudinal data systems can answer critical questions about workforce priorities—if they're maintained.
    Evie Blad, November 18, 2025
    4 min read
    U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is interviewed by Indiana’s Secretary of Education Katie Jenner during the 2025 Reagan Institute Summit on Education in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2025.
    U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is interviewed by Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner during the 2025 Reagan Institute Summit on Education in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2025. The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday unveiled six agreements moving administration of many of its key functions to other federal agencies.
    Leah Millis for Education Week
    Federal Most K-12 Programs Will Leave Education Department in Latest Downsizing
    The Trump administration announced six agreements to transfer Ed. Dept. programs elsewhere.
    6 min read
    USA Congress with loading icon. Shutdown, political crisis concept.
    DigitalVision Vectors
    Federal The Federal Shutdown Is Over. What Comes Next for Schools?
    Some delayed funds for schools could arrive soon, but questions about future grants remain.
    Mark Lieberman, November 14, 2025
    7 min read
    Instructional coach Kristi Tucker posts notes to the board during a team meeting at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025.
    Instructional coach Kristi Tucker posts notes to the board during a team meeting at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025. The grant funding this training work was among three teacher-preparation grant programs largely terminated by the Trump administration in its first weeks. Eight states filed a lawsuit challenging terminations in two of those programs, and a judge on Thursday said she couldn't restore the discontinued grants but could rule on whether the Trump administration acted legally.
    Bryant Kirk White for Education Week
    Law & Courts A New Twist in the Legal Battle Over Trump's Cancellation of Teacher-Prep Grants
    A district court judge says she'll decide if the Trump administration broke the law.
    Brooke Schultz, November 13, 2025
    4 min read
    Miniature American flags flutter in wind gusts across the National Mall near the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.
    Miniature American flags flutter in wind gusts across the National Mall near the Capitol in Washington on Nov. 10, 2025. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a bill reopening the federal government after a 43-day shutdown.
    J. Scott Applewhite
    Federal Ed. Dept. Layoffs Are Reversed, But Staff Fear Things Won't Return to Normal
    The bill ending the shutdown reverses the early October layoffs of thousands of federal workers.
    Brooke Schultz, November 13, 2025
    4 min read
    The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
    Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
    Federal Opinion Can School Reform Be Bipartisan Again?
    In a world dominated by social media, is there room for a more serious education debate?
    Rick Hess, November 11, 2025
    8 min read

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  • The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
    Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
    Policy & Politics Opinion What It Takes to Be an Effective Education Scholar
    The 2026 RHSU Scholar Rankings will be released soon. How do the top researchers attain influence?
    Rick Hess, January 5, 2026
    3 min read
    Students carrying pride and transgender flags leave Great Oak High School in Temecula, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2023, after walking out of the school in protest of the Temecula school district policy requiring parents to be notified if their child identifies as transgender.
    Students carrying pride and transgender flags leave Great Oak High School in Temecula, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2023, after walking out of the school in protest of the Temecula school district policy requiring parents to be notified if their child identifies as transgender.
    Anjali Sharif-Paul/The Orange County Register via AP
    Law & Courts Appeals Court Halts Ruling Letting Teachers Disclose Students' Gender Identity
    A federal appeals court has temporarily paused enforcement of the ruling but has not yet decided whether to grant a longer-term stay.
    Kristen Taketa, The San Diego Union-Tribune, January 2, 2026
    3 min read
    Zohran Mamdani speaks during a victory speech at a mayoral election night watch party on Nov. 4, 2025, in New York.
    Zohran Mamdani speaks during a victory speech at a mayoral election night watch party on Nov. 4, 2025, in New York. The new mayor named a former teacher and principal and current superintendent as chancellor of the city’s public schools.
    Yuki Iwamura/AP
    States Zohran Mamdani Picks Manhattan Superintendent as NYC Schools Chancellor
    Kamar Samuels is a veteran educator of the nation's largest school system.
    Cayla Bamberger & Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, December 31, 2025
    2 min read
    Randi Weingarten speaks at a press conference at Murrell Dobbins Career & Technical Education High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 2, 2025.
    Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, speaks at a press conference in Philadelphia on Sept. 2, 2025. Weingarten says that cuts to federal education funds by the Trump administration "are only hurting young people."
    Rachel Wisniewski for Education Week
    Education Funding ‘Terminated on a Whim’: The AFT Sues Trump’s Ed. Dept. Over Funding Cuts
    The AFT and a Chicago-area nonprofit argue the cuts happened without following required procedures.
    4 min read
    Demonstrators hold up signs protesting an immigration bill as it is discussed in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol Thursday in Nashville, Tenn. The bill would allow public school systems in Tennessee to require K-12 students without legal status in the country to pay tuition or face denial of enrollment, which is a challenge to the federal law requiring all children be provided a free public education regardless of legal immigration status.
    Demonstrators hold up signs protesting an immigration bill as it was discussed in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., on April 10, 2025. The bill, which legislators paused, would have allowed schools in the state to require undocumented students to pay tuition. It was one of six efforts taken by states in 2025 to limit undocumented students' access to free, public education.
    John Amis/AP
    States Undocumented Students Still Have a Right to Education. Will That Change in 2026?
    State-level challenges to a landmark 1982 Supreme Court ruling are on the rise.
    Ileana Najarro, December 29, 2025
    5 min read
    Reducing, removing or overcoming financial barriers, financial concept : US dollar bag on a maze puzzle.
    William Potter/iStock
    Education Funding School Mental Health Projects Canceled by Trump Might Still Survive
    The end of funding could still be days away, but a new court order offers some hope for grantees.
    Matthew Stone, December 24, 2025
    6 min read

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Meeting District Needs K-12 Insider What Made a Middle School's First-Ever ELA Curriculum Launch a Success
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